Here are some rather useless bits of info for you that may help you in planning your own trip through the desert.

Route Taken:

Sydney - Bourke - Nyngan - Charliville - Quilpie - Birdsville - French Line - K1 Line - Rig Road Purnie Bore - Dalhousie - Mt Dare - Finke - Kulgera - Alice - Henbury Craters - Kings Canyon Uluru Coober Pedy - William Creek - Lake Eyre - Maree - Leigh Creek Broken Hill - Mildura - Wagga Wagga - Home and a hot bath.

Total Distance: just over 7000kms.

Time taken: 14 days

Fuel used: Way too much. For the crossing of the Simpson, I took 6 x 20 ltr fuel cans, with just over 80 in the Tank I had around 60 ltrs remaining by the time we reached Mt Dare homestead.

Speaking of Fuel, every fuel stop we used (And being a petrol discovery we used most) took Eftpos or Credit cards.

Most expensive fuel on the trip was at Mt Dare, and was around the $1.30 mark. Elsewhere the price was around $1.15 to $1.25. Diesel was an extra 5 to 10 Cents more expensive at every fuel stop we found...surprisingly.

Should I cross West to East or East to West ?

We went East to West. Many people and books state that it is easier to cross from West to East. We found the crossing very easy. Maybe because of all the traffic that has been through lately. Big Red was tackled in 2 tries (Only cause I did not realise I was on it and still had the tires up to 38psi.)

Crossing from East to West means you finish the desert trip at Dalhousie springs. A Much welcome relief after days spent in the hot desert. No offence to Birdsville, but it is the last place I would want to be after spending several days in the sand, if I knew that the people I had passed a few days earlier, were playing around in the soothing waters at Dalhousie.

Temperature: In the desert was around the 36 - 40+ mark during the middle of the day. Night time did not get as cold as expected and was maybe as low as 10-12. We were never cold.